Behind him, muffled noises from family and friends sporadically escaped the house and into the otherwise quiet night as Charlie Woerner stood in the middle of his parents' driveway, taking a moment away from the ongoing celebration inside to absorb all that happened in the last few hours.
Charlie's arms wrapped around his fiancé, Sydney Gilliam. Hers encircled his waist. They hugged wordlessly, heads tipped to the sky. Stars shone as far as they could see.
With each collective breath, a steady rise and fall of their touching chests, the reality of what's to come settled in.
"We're going to San Francisco," Sydney said. "This is wild. Like where is that on a map? That is so far away from here."
Earlier that Saturday evening of April 25, 2020, Charlie received a call that would change the trajectory of their shared life for the next four years. Well, technically, Charlie missed the call and dialed back on Sydney's phone. The refurbished device Charlie recently bought off eBay to replace his broken one didn't maintain service all too well in the country.
When it finally did connect, that call was with the San Francisco 49ers. They used the No. 190 overall pick in the sixth round of the 2020 NFL Draft to select Charlie, a tight end from the University of Georgia.
"I never thought I'd be drafted, to be honest with you," Charlie said. "To be drafted was just, 'Whoa, I got drafted.' I was wanted.
"I wouldn't say that San Francisco hit me until later."
Charlie was born and raised in the tiny town of Tiger, Georgia, which has a population of 400-500 people and is located 100-plus miles northeast of Atlanta. All of his grade schools were located on the same campus, including Rabun County High School.
Then, Charlie remained in state for college, sticking to his UGA commitment despite a coaching change before his arrival and multiple offers from other big-time programs. That's where he met Sydney, who's originally from Hendersonville, North Carolina. Both chose to stay within a three-hour drive of home.
Relocating to California would be their first time living not just an airplane ride away from their support system but a cross-country trip no less.
"It didn't seem scary at all," Sydney said, "at that point."
— 2020 & 2021 —
After a quick 1-2 step in the narrow hallway, Sydney Woerner jumped into her husband's arms. Charlie caught her easily; one arm braced behind her lower back, the other looped under her legs. With a quick kiss, he carried his wife across the threshold of their first apartment together.
The two tied the knot on June 27, 2020, in Sydney's hometown. Shortly after, Charlie left for the 49ers' training camp. It wasn't until September that Sydney joined him in San Jose, California.
When she did arrive, the newlyweds weren't the only ones to breathe a sigh of relief. Back in Georgia, Charlie's mother, Kathy Woerner, released the biggest exhale. She'd been stressed ever since Charlie took off.
"I was nervous he was going to get depressed," Kathy said. "At first, they said, 'You're in camp. You're not with anybody. You're all by yourself in this hotel room.' This has never happened to him before. He's never lived alone. He's always had all these people around him. Even at college, he lived in a house with like six or seven other people he chose."
Training camp normally keeps players, especially rookies, busier than usual and away from family, but guests often can attend practices. COVID-19 nixed that. The 49ers prohibited anyone non-essential at the facility.
Protocols shifted toward the regular season. Slight normalcy returned.
"I was so thankful that he was married," Kathy said. "He was going home to someone who loves him no matter where he is."
It didn't take long for Charlie and Sydney to realize exactly how different their life in California was going to be.
Sydney's visions of living in San Francisco, a coastal city with pickup beach volleyball, trendy coffee shops and colorful historic architecture, did not come to fruition. Instead, she got the concrete center of Silicon Valley with San Jose. Their view included Levi's Stadium, a three-minute drive away.
"Here in California, most real estate is taken up by buildings, especially in Silicon Valley," 49ers tight end Ross Dwelley said. "Like where I'm from in San Diego, it's beautiful. But out here, there's more apartments and businesses and stuff. It's just a lot different than being out there (in Georgia), where it's more open space with nature."
Rent went from around $300 apiece among multiple roommates in an Athens house to $4,000 solo in a San Jose one-bedroom unit. That was a sticker shock even for a professional athlete, considering their first place was 900 square feet. And unfurnished.
Charlie and Sydney slept atop a roll-out mattress on the floor.
"Worst decision ever," Charlie said.
Every other apartment they rented – there was a new one each year – was furnished. Slightly bigger, and therefore, slightly more expensive.
The clean slate at least gave Sydney something to do amid California's strict COVID-19 restrictions. She'd order furniture from IKEA or Target.
"I was Bob the Builder up there," Sydney said.
Betty Crocker, too. Forget candles. With the cookies Sydney baked weekly for the team, the apartment always held a warm aroma.
There'd be flares of spice, too, since Sydney also often cooked homemade meals.
Breaking in the kitchen was just one step. Sydney printed and pinned pictures of family and friends throughout the apartment. She also picked out local trinkets to scatter for character.
Soon enough, it felt like home, a mix of past and present for a comfortable future.
"It used to bother me because you used to buy too many little things," Charlie said while looking at Sydney. "But after a while, I love all the little things you buy."
The first wave of true homesickness hit at Thanksgiving. Charlie, being one of seven children, was accustomed to big family dinners at his parents' house for the holiday. Sydney, with two brothers herself, understood. They'd FaceTime their families, but really, they leaned on each other to still enjoy the special occasion.
The feeling was mutual across the country.
"We have these kids, and then we think they're going to be with you for the rest of life, and then all of a sudden, they're gone," said Kent Woerner, Charlie's father. "You realize, 'Gosh, I miss him.' It's an adjustment. But I also just take into account that's the way it's supposed to be. They're supposed to leave their parents."
During those first two years, days in California were centered around Charlie and Sydney. Sure, they made friends within the 49ers organization, but the pandemic made socializing difficult.
Charlie played in 14 games as a rookie, catching three passes for 36 yards. He and Sydney purchased a house in Athens during their first offseason back in Georgia, then rented in San Jose come Charlie's second year in California. He then played in every game and caught five passes for 52 yards before undergoing back and sports hernia surgeries in the offseason.
Sydney discovered on Nov. 5, 2021, their duo was going to become a trio in 2022.
"I bought a house, I got a child coming, and I have two surgeries," Charlie said. "My career's going to be over. How am I going to pay for this house? How am I going to take care of this kid?"
— 2022 & 2023 —
Hoisting himself up into the passenger seat of his teammate's green Ram 2500 truck, Charlie buckled in before turning to Colton McKivitz and taking the aux cord extended his way. As classic country tunes filtered through the speakers, McKivitz pulled away from Charlie's apartment complex, only a road over from his own, and off they went. Hunting time.
The location of their trips varied, depending on whether it was duck or turkey season, but they usually took off around 2:30 a.m. and did so once a week. They'd chase game all over Central Valley, which required driving anywhere between two to four hours.
Hunting allowed Charlie to feel a piece of home was with him in California. Same with McKivitz, who is from Ohio and attended college at West Virginia University.
"Good people find good people," McKivitz said. "Obviously we found each other out here, and that helped us through our careers here."
The two self-proclaimed "good old country boys" bonded when they met as locker mates in 2020. Like Charlie, McKivitz was a 49ers draft pick that year. McKivitz was chosen a round earlier than Charlie. That prompted a good deal of ribbing to break the ice.
Even though they could not be more different on paper, Charlie also quickly hit it off with Dwelley in their position room. Dwelley lived in California since he was 4 years old and signed as an undrafted free agent in 2018. He was not a good old country boy, nor was he a rookie learning the ropes. But he and Charlie clicked.
One day, Charlie would be in both McKivitz's and Dwelley's weddings. He was a groomsman for Dwelley in 2023 and best man for McKivitz in 2025.
"What makes Charlie so special is his way to connect with people," McKivitz said. "He's always there to help obviously. That's what country boys are; they'll give you their shirt of their back. But he'll also fight to death for your friendship."
That's what makes him a great son, friend, husband and – oh, yeah – father.
Henry Woerner was born July 14, 2022, in Georgia. Within a week, Charlie had to report for training camp. He missed the early newborn phase, but Sydney had her parents' assistance back home. Her mom, Kasey Gilliam, even flew with Sydney and Henry to California and helped them settle into their new apartment before the season started.
"It kind of felt like the draft in a way," Sydney said, "like a lot of life is happening really fast, so you don't have time to process it."
Navigating motherhood, especially when Charlie was at practice, was difficult. A happy surprise, however, was Sydney felt less lonely through the second half of Charlie's rookie contract than the first. She had Henry, her little buddy. He went everywhere with her.
Henry was a new and cherished addition to Charlie and Sydney's life.
"He just made everything more exciting," Sydney said.
The three of them could explore a lot more once COVID-19 restrictions lifted, too. They made it a priority to do so on Tuesdays, typically a down day in the NFL. So, they'd walk around the Redwood National and State Parks for Charlie's forest fix. They'd visit San Francisco to experience Sydney's coastal-city culture. They'd seek out playgrounds for Henry, tacking on dinner to expand the parents' roster of restaurants.
The playgrounds were the most memorable.
"It's like, 'There's no woods, so this is our humongous playground,'" Charlie said. "Those playgrounds are crazy. You don't see those here (in Tiger or Athens)."
The Woerners grew to love the life they built in San Jose. It may not have been what they envisioned, but they made the most of it.
Instead of getting competitive over volleyball, Charlie held poker nights with his teammates. Instead of gossiping at coffee shops, Sydney threw dinner parties with players' partners. As for the architecture, well, that no longer mattered.
"I read a book called, 'The Gospel Comes with a House Key,'" Sydney said. "It was talking about how you don't have to have an elaborate home to have people over and just do life together. Like you can have a tiny little apartment. We'd squeeze people in there."
Things were falling into place for the Woerners.
Henry was a healthy toddler.
Sydney navigated roads without a GPS.
Charlie recovered from his offseason surgeries. He had a dip in production in 2022, without a single target, but picked back up in 2023 with three receptions for 32 yards. He appeared in every game between the two seasons, including the Super Bowl in 2024. The 49ers lost to the Kansas City Chiefs, but it was a nail-biter determined in overtime.
Then, Charlie's contract expired.
"You're a part of a winning organization that has a great team culture, and you're like, 'This is awesome, and we've made great friends,'" Sydney said. "So, when you actually start to think about saying goodbye to that, you're like, 'Whoa, this is a big decision here.'"
From his first snap with Rabun County High School to his latest snap with the Atlanta Falcons, take a look at tight Charlie Woerner's football career through the years.
In front of him, the squeals of delight Henry released each time he clashed and crashed his plastic toys brought a smile to Charlie's face as he watched from the driveway of their Athens home, stepping away from the makeshift construction site to answer a call from his agent.
Sydney stood by Charlie's side. This was what they'd been waiting for: Charlie was a free agent and needed a new team. An answer awaited.
With each minute that passed, Henry blissfully unaware of the situation, Sydney's nerves grew with only catching Charlie's half of the conversation.
"How do we uproot this toddler who just wants to sit in the dirt all day?" Sydney thought in the moment. "Back to the concrete life?"
They don't.
The Woerners didn't have to go anywhere.
The Atlanta Falcons offered Charlie a three-year contract worth $12 million. He accepted, signing on March 13, 2024.
"You don't just go home to go home," Charlie said. "You want to be in the right fit for you. Because being in the right fit can make you play 10, 15 years. If you go to the wrong fit and then put bad stuff on tape, your career could be done in 5, 6 years."
Charlie proved in 2024 the Falcons were the right fit. He played a career-high 457 offensive snaps and caught a personal-high seven passes for 46 yards.
A tight end's statistics don't tend to be flashy. So take it from Falcons running back Bijan Robinson, who rushed for the third-most yards last season and called Charlie the "best blocking tight end in the NFL."
Charlie's value in Atlanta is only bound to grow now that he has replanted his roots in Georgia. Intertwined with Sydney's, of course.
Entering their fifth year of marriage in 2025, they bought a house near Flowery Branch, where the Falcons' facility is located. They welcomed their second child, John Woerner, on April 2. And they celebrated Henry's third birthday surrounded by immediate and extended family members in their backyard.
"The big things get documented," Charlie said. "It's the little things we missed."
It's looking at the stars. It's playing in the dirt. It's making life decisions from a driveway that only leads home.
